Chapter 10

~Morgan Vales~

Tears flowed uncontrollably as Louis's lifeless body lay in my arms. He was about to touch my face, a final gesture of connection, when his hand dropped, and his eyes closed. The weight of his death pressed upon me, leaving me empty, my world shattered in front of me.

"My son, no!" I cried, hugging him tightly, my voice choked with grief. My trembling hand touched his lifeless face, a futile attempt to bring him back. Sarah, lying dead nearby, added to the heart-wrenching scene. I shouted in anguish, "No!" attempting to reach out to Louis's lifeless hand, but it dropped to the ground.

"No, no," I repeated, my cries echoing through the silent forest. Memories flooded my mind, recalling the day Louis had reached out to me while I was burying his sister. He had stretched his hand towards me, seeking comfort. Regret gnawed at me; I wished I had embraced him that day, but now it was too late. The two people who were my precious blood were gone, and I was left with the haunting echoes of missed opportunities.

Suddenly, breaking through the agony, I screamed, "Imoogi vampire!" A creature materialized behind me, biting into my neck. The searing pain coursed through me, but with sheer determination, I managed to push the creature away. Before I could fully comprehend the situation, a sword pierced into my chest from behind.

Blood gushed from my mouth as I screamed in agony. Struggling to stand, I turned to see the Imoogi vampire lady, the same one who had saved me before. She appeared furious, her body stained with blood. Turning my face back to my lifeless child, I attempted to reach for my sword lying in front of me.

The Imoogi vampire lady, however, pressed harder with the sword in my chest, intensifying the pain. Unbearable anguish gripped me, and tears streamed down my face. Desperation filled my eyes as I tried to pick up my sword to fight back, but the pain was overwhelming.

In my final moments, I reflected on the missed chances, the love that could have been shared, and the embraces that never happened. The weight of regret hung heavy as my hand dropped, and I whispered, "I should have embraced them when I had the chance."

The Imoogi vampire lady, relentless, observed my struggle with an eerie calmness. The pain reached its peak as my hand fell, and I surrendered to the inevitable. As I gave up the ghost, the forest remained silent,

As the minutes passed, the sun began to rise, casting a warm glow on the scene. The Imoogi vampire lady stood behind me, the sword still embedded in my body. The sun's reflection danced on me, and blood flowed from my wounds, transferring through the sword into the lady's body. Her vampire features emerged – fangs extended, and her eyes turned pitch black. My soul had entered her body.

She removed her hand from the sword, staggering backward. The blood penetrated deeper into her body as she fell to her knees. However, my eyes slowly opened, now possessing an ominous black color. Fury burned within me as I rose to my feet, drawing my sword with rage. With a swift and forceful motion, I stabbed her in the chest, ensuring the blade penetrated deeply. She struggled but couldn't resist.

"Why did you do it?" I demanded, anger lacing my voice. "Why kill my innocent wife and son? You could have targeted only me! Tell me why!" The lady gasped for breath, her eyes revealing a mix of surprise and defiance. I screamed again, "Tell me why!"

Locking eyes with her, I could hear her thoughts in my mind. She muttered, "This was all your doing. What have you done? You've created more bad karma, brought upon another tribulation." Confused by her words, I withdrew my hand from the sword hilt.

"What are you talking about?" I questioned, struggling to comprehend the connection between my actions and the what she's trying to say.

The Imoogi vampire lady, now reducing to ashes, whispered through her thoughts, "I despise you! I truly despise you!" Confused, I asked, "What do you mean?" She continued in her mind, "I will be born again with this scar that you have given me."

As tears streamed down her face, she's still turning into ashes, slowly vanishing into the air. A gust of wind blew away her remnants. In that moment of confusion, the right-hand man and the other soldiers arrived. I declared, "Imoogi vampire is dead."

The right-hand man, puzzled, said, "You killed that which cannot be killed. But how?" Attempting to stand up, he noticed the sword still embedded in my body. "A sword in his body—"

I interrupted, standing up as if nothing had happened. The right-hand man and the soldiers stepped back, startled by the fierceness in my eyes. I dropped the sword to the ground and walked to where Louis's lifeless body lay. As I lifted him into my arms, the right-hand man said, "Commander..."

I gazed at Louis, blood staining his small form. A sudden craving for blood overcame me, but I resisted, determined not to succumb to the darkness. With a roar resembling a lion's, I expressed the internal struggle. The others recoiled in fear.

"He is a monster!" the right-hand man exclaimed. "He has turned into an Imoogi vampire. He is Imoogi now. He will kill us! He will kill us all!" Fear gripping them, the right-hand man drew his sword and stabbed me. I tried to control my anger, and they were astonished that I did not die.

Instead of perishing, I roared again, a primal sound echoing through the forest. The soldiers, compelled by fear, unsheathed their swords and took turns stabbing me. Yet, I endured the pain, my body resilient against their futile attempts.

As the onslaught continued, the right-hand man shouted, "Why won't he die? What kind of monster is he?" The soldiers, realizing the futility of their efforts, hesitated but continued their attacks.

In the midst of the chaos, I stood resilient, feeling the pain with each stab. The forest echoed with the clash of swords and the guttural roars escaping my lips. The right-hand man, desperate and enraged, charged forward, delivering a powerful blow with his sword. I withstood the strike, my eyes gleaming with an unnatural intensity.

The right-hand man stepped back, terror etched across his face. "What are you?" he muttered, almost to himself. Ignoring the question, I focused on my son's lifeless form in my arms.

As they stumbled backward in fear, I gently placed Louis back on the ground and stood up, turning towards them. Instead of tears, blood flowed from my eyes, a macabre manifestation of the internal turmoil I carried. The sight horrified them, and in panic, they scattered, running away from the grotesque scene.

They rushed back to the palace, seeking refuge in the presence of King Vales. The right-hand man, still shaken, approached King Vales and urgently reported, "My lord, he was not human. We should not have trusted someone with such an ominous birth. He sacrificed his family and subordinates to become an Imoogi vampire."

King Vales, fueled by a mix of grief and anger, demanded, "Where are the bodies of my daughter and grandson?" The right-hand man replied, "He must have taken them with him. He looks like a beast." The news fueled King Vales's fury, unable to contain his rage, he ran towards the right-hand man, pulling out his sword, and smashed it on the floor, screaming in anguish.

The soldiers, witnessing this sudden outburst, quickly rose to their feet, eyeing King Vales with surprise. As he fell to his knees, tears mixing with the blood dripping from his injured hand, an order echoed from the Royal Court. It declared that I, having transformed into an Imoogi vampire, should be killed. The soldiers mounted their horses, riding towards the forest to find me. They were armed with swords, prepared to face the supposed monster lurking within the shadows.

The right-hand man, lost in his thoughts, muttered to himself, "No trace of him. The sun will set soon, and the Imoogi vampire will be rampant. Besides, where is King Vales? I thought he followed us."